Leaves of orange and gold and red
spiral gently overhead
and then the wind begins to sing
of dreams that only Fall can bring.
Then in my heart and in my soul
there came the dream
and it would seem
of all the things that Fall could bring
the gentle spiral of the leaves
would be the dream now granted me.
© Deanna Joseph

There is something really magical about this time of year, how just one day you wake up and you feel autumn in the air. It’s not like the hot flash of summer that sneaks up on us, nor can it be compared to the sleepiness of winter slowing us down. Just one day the air feels different, it feels red and golden and ripe. The inspiration and creativity that we’ve been sowing all year is finally ready to be harvested into something dreamy and tangible, all at the same time.

The Autumn Equinox (on or about September 21 or 22) is one of two brief moments during the year (the other is the Spring Equinox) when the day and the night are about equal. The Autumn Equinox is about balance, and it brings us the energies of reconnection. It is through these connections that we are able to tap into and experience our own powerful creative energies.

Here are a couple of suggestions to help bring your life back into balance, reconnect to your own spirit and allow yourself to fully enjoy the next couple of months.

Simplify and Clear Your Space

Now that the hectic energies of summer are behind us, we find ourselves getting back into a routine. Now is a perfect time to declutter your home. The wintertime will bring more restful, peaceful and “go within” types of energy, and it’s hard to find respite when there are piles of clutter around you. We’ve also got the major holidays that will be here before we know it, and taking the time to simplify and clear your space now will make the holiday rush a bit less chaotic and will free up your energies so that you can more freely express your creativity.

Clear Your Heart Space

Many of us are carrying around emotional clutter that stifles our energy and slows down our creative energy. If you feel that you are weighed down by negativity, take a moment and try this simple breathing exercise:

Close your eyes and breath deeply. When you feel relaxed, place your attention on your toes, you can even wiggle them a little. Then imagine that a beautiful gold light flows up from the center of the earth, right up through your feet and swirls gently through your body. Next place your attention on the top of your head. Imagine a beautiful violet light flowing down from the heavens, in through the top of your head and mixing with the gold light throughout your body. Now place your attention on your heart area, where you imagine a beautiful, glowing, green ball of light. Now say to yourself “I am filled with loving and inspired thought.”

This visualization helps us to re-focus so that we can fully enjoy the present moment and release some of the emotional clutter that we carry around with us.

Every season brings its own gifts. The red-gold glimmer of autumn helps us to harvest our bright ideas, let go of those things which no longer work for us and find balance in dance of spiraling golden leaves.